After being sentenced to 50 months/just over four years in prison, Diddy‘s release date has finally been revealed. Found guilty on two counts of transportation for pr*stit*tion, the rap mogul will be released on May 8, 2028 (via the NY Post). He will also have to pay a $500,000 fine and have five years of supervised release.
The time he has already spent behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center will be counted in the sentence, meaning that he only has about 30 months left before his release.
Given the date of his arrest, the rapper will only be serving roughly 42 months in prison, which is 85% of the 50-month sentence he was initially given. Moreover, as part of the First Step Act, he will have the chance to earn “good conduct time” every year (via THR).
When the trial first began, Sean “Diddy” Combs was facing a life sentence. He was then found guilty on two counts of transportation for pr*stit*tion, and the maximum sentence he could have gotten was 20 years. The prosecution was looking to have Combs put behind bars for eleven years, while the defence argued that their client had already paid for his sins.
Keeping everything in mind, Combs’ legal team did everything they could to pull off a miraculous win, even if it isn’t ideal. Let’s meet the team behind it all.
1. Marc Agnifilo
Marc Agnifilo is the one leading Combs’ defense team to the finish line. The experienced attorney has previously defended NXIVM leader Keith Raniere, “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli, and Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng (via ABC News).
Currently, Agnifilo and his wife, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, are representing Luigi Mangione, the man accused of the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson (via CNN).
Agnifilo has had a fruitful career so far, having tried over 200 cases in just three decades. He is the founding partner of Agnifilo Intrater, along with Combs’ other attorney, Teny Geragos. His wife serves as the Of Counsel. The firm prides itself on representing “individuals in complex and sensitive criminal matters.”
Agnifilo previously worked at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney. Today, he handles high-stakes criminal cases, including money laundering, racketeering and enterprise corruption, bribery, and more.
2. Teny Geragos
Let’s talk about Agnifilo Intrater’s other founding partner, Teny Geragos. Geragos was the co-lead on Combs’ case along with Agnifilo. She defends clients in federal and state criminal cases “at both the trial and appellate level“.
Geragos’ experience speaks for itself. She has represented clients accused of s*xual assault, s*xual harassment, and other s*xual misconduct as well as victims of the same. She has also led internal investigations in the construction and healthcare industries.
The other high-profile case Geragos is a part of is the one with the Menendez Brothers – Erik and Lyle – who were convicted of killing their parents 35 years ago and have garnered the support of the general public.
Law runs in the family as she is the daughter of famed defense attorney Mark Geragos, who has represented Chris Brown, Michael Jackson, and more.
3. Alexandra Shapiro
Alexandra Shapiro’s name has been heard throughout Combs’ trial. She works for Shapiro Arato Bach and has over three decades of appellate experience under her belt. She is most noted for bringing successful results in high profile white collar cases.
As per her firm’s website, her victories include “two Supreme Court decisions narrowing the scope of the federal fraud statutes, Ciminelli v. United States and Percoco v. United States“, and more.
Shapiro is also representing Sam Bankman-Fried in the pending appeal of his criminal conviction.
4. Brian Steel
Steel Law Firm‘s Brian Steel is another popular name on Combs’ legal team. Aside from the recent trial, he is also known for representing Young Thug in the YSL racketeering trial, which lasted for over 22 years.
Steel has been defending those accused of criminal misconduct since 1991, travelling from court to court all over the country. So far, he has represented doctors, attorneys, FBI agents, elected officials, athletes, judges, and so much more.
As per legal reporter Matthew Ruseell Lee of Inner City Press, Steel was left with tears in his eyes when he pleaded with judge Arun Subramanian to let his client go home to his family (via Yahoo):
I am honored to practice in this majestic courthouse. I sit here with tears in my eyes, I can’t believe we’re hear. Sean has impacted America in such a positive manner…On occasion he would hit the woman he loved. He loved Ms. Ventura. I have been with Sean more than my family since I met him. He has taken responsibility. He would have pled guilty to the Mann Act, but they wouldn’t offer that.
Fun fact: Drake and PartyNextDoor’s collaborative album, released in 2015, has a song titled Brian Steel after the attorney.
5. The Rest of Diddy’s Legal Team
Combs’ legal team involves four more lawyers: Xavier Donaldson, Anna Estevao, Jason Driscoll, and Linda Moreno.
As per the New York State Bar Association, Donaldson was inspired to join the legal field by his older brother, who is also a lawyer. As a criminal defense attorney, it is important for him that “every judge understands the “why” before any of my clients are sentenced.”
Taking a look at his LinkedIn, he has had his own legal practice since 2023, and has previously spent a whopping 24 years at a New York City law firm, Donaldson & Chilliest, LLP.
Estevao is a partner at Harris Trzaskoma LLP and has defended individuals and businesses against allegations of mail and wire fraud, tax fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, health care fraud, s*xual assault, immigration-related offenses, and more.
Estevao has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers since 2021.
Driscoll is currently working as an associate at Shapiro Arato Bach, making him one of the most junior members of Combs’ team. Alexandra Shapiro recently posted about their victory in representing the former head of HSBC’s foreign exchange business, who was wrongfully prosecuted for wire fraud.
Driscoll has been with the firm since May 2023. Previously, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Well, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
Lastly, Moreno joined the team as a legal consultant, helping in jury selection. She specializes in national security and terrorism cases, and has a wide variety of clients, including actor Wesley Snipes and Guantanamo detainee Mohamedou Salahi.
As per 5kbw, Moreno has left the defense in over 100 jury trials. She usually appears as the legal expert in interviews by the BBC, New York Times, Al Jazeera, and more.
Clearly, Diddy knew what he was doing when he sought after these eight people to represent him in one of the biggest battles of his life. While the results weren’t ideal, they are certainly in his favor, considering that he could have had to spend life behind bars. His legal troubles may be far from over, but he knows he can rely on his team.
What are your thoughts on Diddy’s impressive legal team? Let us know in the comments section below!
